Sean felt more relaxed on a bike this time around. He didn't hold on as tightly and actually took in the scenery as it passed. He really wanted a bike now. It just felt so amazing to feel the wind wash over him. It blew all his worries and stress away. Nathan drove faster than Bill around the turns, but Sean liked that. He wanted to go faster. To chase that feeling of riding the wind. When Nathan encountered traffic, he sped up to weave between the cars. The cars honked and people called Nathan fowl names. Nathan ignored them by revving his engine louder. Sean let out a howl of excitement. Nathan only stopped at lights that other cars were at. Otherwise, he blew through every light and ignored all road signs. He judged the road on his own instincts. Sean giggled at how strange it was to ignore those simple rules. He felt like he was going to get in trouble, but Nathan wasn't the least bit concerned about that. Turning toward the gate, Sean yelped and buried his face against Nathan's back. The large fence that bordered the Valley had a gate that was guarded by two Alphas. The gate had to slide open to let people in or out. The gate was slow moving. Although, the Alphas clearly saw Nathan do this enough that they hit the button to let him out the moment they saw his blinker come on.
The gate barely opened enough to let the bike through, but Nathan surged right through it without stopping. The road after the gate was a straightaway and Nathan shifted gears to go faster. Sean squealed. He'd never gone so fast in his life. Clinging to Nathan, his heart raced in his ribs. Nathan was booking it at over ninety miles an hour. The small hills along the road made Sean cling tighter to Nate as he rose off the seat and got a rush of butterflies in his stomach. It was a rush like no other. Just as the sign for the city rushed by, Nathan began to slow down a little. The city drew Sean's full attention. He had imagined what it would look like, but he had been wrong. The city had tall buildings with large neon signs on them. They had larger malls and attractions that he'd never seen in the Valley. There were no homes like the ones he knew. Instead, there were buildings with small balconies and levels of windows. Were they the apartments that Nathan mentioned? Some of the apartments had clotheslines up with laundry. Others had grills where people were smoking and drinking together. The people on the street were so different from the Valley too.
The people looked scruffier. They didn't seem to care how they dressed or what their hair looked like. The most attractive people stood on the street corners and teased passing people to get their attention. Almost everyone here either walked or rode motorcycles. The bars and clubs were packed, and it wasn't even late yet. As Nathan drove by a few people called out to him and Nathan greeted them. Sean scooted closer to Nathan as he saw some people making out in public or pulling others into alleyways to mate in the shadows. It wasn't at all what he was used too. On occasion he saw a fight between Alphas and Betas break out, but no one separated them. They cheered them on until one was left bloody. Nathan slowly pulled up into a single row of parking spaces before a building of apartments. Sean climbed off the bike, asking nervously. "Do you live here?" Nathan nodded, taking his hand and quickly rushing him into the lobby. Sean noticed Nathan growling to a few Betas that lingered by the door, before quickly wrapping an arm around him and escorting him into an elevator. The elevator was a bit small, but it worked just fine and didn't have any weird smells.
While waiting for the elevator to go up to his floor, Sean asked him gently. "Why did you growl at those Betas outside?" Nate shuffled his feet, mumbling out in response. "They smelled you. Luckily, your scent is on me. So, they think it is just me coming back from the Valley... but they've never smelled an Omega before. And for your safety... You shouldn't tell them and disguise your scent as soon as possible. I've got scent blockers in my room that you can use." Sean swallowed, asking curiously. "You use Scent blockers?" Nathan chuckled, admitting under his breath. "I use them to cover my Rutting scent. Fights are a big issue here. If anyone here gets a whiff that your Rutting... They take it as a personal challenge. A way to burn off energy." Sean smirked, telling him softly. "They ever hear of a gym?" Nathan laughed softly, replying bluntly. "Sex, drugs, and fighting are the only outlets here." The elevator dinged and Nathan stepped out to lead him down the long hallway. Sean cringed as he passed the different rooms on each side of the hallway. Nathan wasn't kidding. He could hear people partying loudly and could smell the cigarette smoke. He could hear people throwing things and yelling in some rooms. While loud moans accompanied by soft banging came from other rooms.
Sean blushed, inching closer to Nathan. Nate opened his apartment door and gestured him inside. Quickly jogging inside to avoid the things happening in other rooms, Sean bit his lip. This was how Nate was living? Nathan's apartment was a single room. The tiny kitchen sat in the corner beside the door. His bed sat in the other corner across from the kitchen. He had a small dining table with only two chairs. Then a two person couch with a coffee table that sat before a nice flat screen TV on a dresser. The only window came from the large sliding glass door that led out onto his little stone balcony. Nathan gestured to a wooden door by the balcony door, informing him casually. "That door down there is the bathroom. Just so you know. Don't want you to get lost." Sean shyly smirked, turning to ask Nathan nicely. "How long have you lived here?" Nathan shrugged, answering honestly. "My whole life. After mom passed, I just... stayed." Sean moved farther in, prompting Nate to tell him proudly. "Don't look so concerned. I like it here. Lots of memories and it is a good location." Sean shifted nervously as the moaning in the room next door got louder.
Nathan chuckled, closing the door and moving into the kitchen as he told him playfully. "The neighbors can be a bit loud... but after a while you get used to it." Sean sat down on the couch, stating out sweetly. "I don't think I could ever get used to it." Nate started up his coffee maker, then moved to pull out the dining chair. Straddling it, he laid his arms over the top and teased out. "Why is that?" Rolling his eyes, Sean mumbled out in an embarrassed voice. "Mating should be special... Something personal." Nate grinned a little wickedly as he calmly asked. "Was it special between you and Bill?" Sean swallowed, looking away when he told him honestly. "It was as special as it could be... Probably as special as I can hope to get." Nate's voice sounded a little worried when he asked. "Why do you think that?" Sean got up from the couch and moved to stare out the window. Staring up at the clouds in the bright blue sky, he regaled openly. "It's hard to explain but... I just don't fit in. The things I want... I'm just not allowed to have. Whenever I get a taste of happiness, it turns sour. And it's not like I don't try to find my place, because I have tried to change. To fit in. But something about me just... rubs people the wrong way."
Sean sighed, staring at his reflection in the glass. Leaning against the frame, he added in a gloomy tone. "I've wanted to run away so many times, but I love my parents too much to do that to them. So, I'm just trying to keep myself together. But I'm struggling... I wanted to believe that would change once I started working... distract myself. Maybe save some money to... get away for a while. But clearly, I'm not able to do even that. I'm going to be chained to that Valley for the rest of my miserable life." Nate's voice was calming when he asked him. "Wouldn't becoming Mark's Luna change that? Not to dig into a raw wound... but you have that puppy on a string." Sean shrugged, answering rather quickly to himself. "You know what Mark's problem is? We were so close as puppies, then he shut me out. And now, I just feel like his love for me is... It's what everyone expects from him. I can't tell what he's thinking anymore... I feel like he picked me because he remembers the 'puppy love' we had for each other. That he feels bad for me... He doesn't understand that I don't need him to save me. I don't want his pity. I've been taking care of myself just fine. I just want to find myself again. I wanna laugh and play like I used to do so easily. I wanna lift this dark cloud that the pack keeps putting over me and just... love myself again."
Sean lifted his chin, turning to face Nathan as he told him bluntly. "I want to be like you. I want to be confident and strong. I'm tired of being sick and tired. I'm tired of crying and feeling like I'm drowning! I'm tired of caring about what everyone is saying about me! How they want me to be! I wanna make mistakes and look back on them as an experience... I wanna feel in control of myself. I wanna be happy with whatever I do and everything that I don't." Sean panted a little, feeling a little lighter since just getting that out of his system. Nate slowly got up from his chair, giving him a warm smile as he told him warmly. "I'm nothing to admire... but if you wanna go a little wild to find yourself. I think I can help with that." Lifting Sean's chin with his finger, he whispered over his lips. "If you're brave enough. You can slip into some of my clothes, and I'll take you around the town." Sean nodded; his eyes locked on Nathan's. Nathan pointed to his dresser, chuckling out. "Take a look." Sean turned to open the drawers of the dresser, carefully looking through the clothes. Pulling out a shirt and pants, he turned to see Nathan sitting on the couch. Giving him a smile, Nate pointed to the bathroom.
Hugging the clothes to his chest, Sean glanced between the bathroom and Nate. The idea of stripping in a strange house with a strange man brought Bill to mind. The thought was so random but now it was bothering him. Setting the clothes on the dining chair, Sean asked Nathan in a breathless tone of voice. "Nathan...? Before we do this... I wanna ask you some things." Nathan shrugged, openly replying. "Fire away." Sean hugged himself, but reluctantly asked. "Before... you said that Bill wasn't who I thought he was. You believe he's an Alpha... but do you know who he is? My first thought was that it was you... but I saw you fight him. So..." Nathan chuckled, spreading himself out on the couch before he replied in a cool tone of voice. "I've been upfront with you from the start. I didn't want to lie to you. That said... Yes. I know who he is. I knew from the moment I fought him. I wanted to tell you that night, but the scent of paint made it really hard for me to track you down. It hid your scent so well that I doubt anyone unfamiliar with it could have found you. But no. I won't tell you who he is." Sean shrugged, asking a little disappointed. "Why not?"
Nathan gave him a comforting smile, upon answering nicely. "As much as I want to tell you. I don't feel like it's my place. If you wanna know who he is. I think it would be better if you confront him yourself." Sean opened his mouth to scold him a bit, but Nathan quickly slipped in with a chuckle. "You are smart enough to figure it out. Just give it some thought. You are in no danger." Sean bit his lip, then blushed out without looking at Nate. "Ok... Last question." Sean inhaled slowly, anxiously asking him. "Since we are alone... did you want to settle this debt?" Nate stayed very still, telling him in a slow clear voice. "Now would be the time for it... but I'm not going to force you to uphold it. If it is starting to bother you than we can just-" Sean raised a hand to stop him, finally meeting his eyes again to say in a slightly shaky voice. "No. I made the deal. You kept your word. I don't want to be a coward." Sean hugged himself, mumbling out. "This whole thing with Bill has got me all tangled up... So... if you're just 'petting' me, it doesn't sound so bad. Just to loosen me up." Nathan nodded slowly, then held up a finger. Getting up, Nathan moved to his sliding glass door and pulled the white curtains closed.
The curtains allowed the light to still keep the room lit up but kept anyone from seeing them. Walking back to the couch, Nathan sat down and told him calmly. "There. Now it's just us." Sean blushed but inched up to stand before Nathan. Taking a deep breath, he collected his courage and pulled his shirt off. Dropping his shirt to the floor, Sean tried to keep his breathing calm. This felt so different when he could see Nathan's reaction to him. It made him anxious to think that he wasn't what Nathan would expect. Nathan's eyes looked him over, before he whispered out to himself. "Fascinating..." Sean's hands covered his stomach, when he asked uneasily. "What...?" Nathan leaned forward to carefully take Sean's wrists, pulling them away from his stomach. When Sean's arms were down, Nathan's hands moved to hold onto Sean's hips and pulled him closer. Sean's hands trembled when he held onto Nathan's wrists just to hold onto something. Looking over his stomach more, Nathan told him honestly. "At the Festival, I saw a lot of shirtless Omegas before they transformed. None of them looked both as lean and muscular as you do." Sean blinked, mumbling out wispily. "What does that mean?"
Nate's hands slowly moved up his sides to his ribs, sweetly informing him. "Omegas aren't designed to retain muscle. Omegas have no use for it. Only Betas and Alphas retain muscle. We fight. It's built into our DNA. But you... you've got nice curves. You're not as fit as a Beta... but the muscle is there. That explains the strength you had at the Festival... You're something special." Sean slid his hands down Nathan's arms, his cheeks burning as he softly asked him. "You don't think it's weird?" Nathan pulled his hips so close that Sean had to straddle Nathan's lap. Nathan straightened up, his hands sliding around Sean's back as he told him affectionately. "No. I like it." Sean sat on Nathan's lap, sliding his hands under his jacket to grab his shoulders. Nathan shrugged off his leather jacket, his own hands pulling Sean closer to him. Nuzzling his neck, Nate whispered over his skin. "Tell me if I'm going too fast." Sean shivered, breathlessly whispering back over Nate's shoulder. "Just... don't bite me." Nate's hands went to his collar, asking very softly. "Can I remove this?" Sean tensed, reaching up to touch his collar. He'd only had it for a short time, but he was attached to it. Swallowing, Sean lowered his hand and nodded.
Nathan's fingers unbuckled it slowly, then pulled it off his neck carefully to drop it on the floor. Sean shivered as it came free. He felt even more naked without it. With it gone, Nathan pressed his lips to Sean's neck to kiss him. Sean whimpered a little, his hands grabbing Nathan's biceps. Nathan's hands stroked his back and then moved down to stroke his clothed legs. Sean hated feeling like he was giving himself away... but the affection he was getting after years of being teased just felt too damn good. The neighbor's sexual moaning wasn't helping either. Listening to her moan was making his own body crave that same attention. Pulling away from his neck, Nathan brought his lips to Sean's and kissed him. The kiss was slow and beautiful... Yet, Sean just couldn't shake the guilty feeling he felt for doing this. To Be Continued...